A week on Koh Kradan

Posted on August 7, 2025 by Bryan Keith

With the excuse to practice the freediving skills that we learned on Koh Lanta, Ferda and I spent a week at Ao Niang Resort on Koh Kradan. I had read that Ao Niang has some of the best beach-accessible snorkeling in Thailand. It’s the best I’ve seen, but that doesn’t say much. There was enough in the water to entertain us for a week. The coral’s not great, but I have lots of lousy photos to give an idea of the creatures you might see underwater at Ao Niang.

Above ground is kind of pretty. Here’s Ao Niang Beach with the resort bungalows.

20250314_081902 by bryandkeith on flickr
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A week on Koh Lanta

Posted on July 28, 2025 by Bryan Keith

We continued our island hopping, less cycling, and a little snorkeling — from Koh Phi Phi to Koh Lanta. A week on Koh Lanta went by really quickly. Ferda and I spent three days taking a freediving course with Lion at Phoenix Divers in Ban Sala Dan, the same town where the ferry from Phi Phi dropped us on Lanta. We had a classroom day, a pool day, and an open sea day. Mostly we learned techniques: relaxation breathing, duck dives, kicking with long fins. In the pool we did both static apnea (how long can you hold your breath under water?) and dynamic apnea (how far can you travel underwater with fins?). In the open water we practiced our duck dives and rescuing a disabled diver from 5m. Our goal was to learn a bit to improve our snorkeling. Along the way we earned PADI freediver certification for whatever that’s worth.

Here’s Ferda rescuing our instructor, Lion.

PICA0052 by bryandkeith on flickr

As a little bonus, almost as soon as we had completed all our skills tests for the certificates, a zebra shark swam under us.

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Touristy Thailand: Krabi, Railay, Phi Phi

Posted on July 14, 2025 by Bryan Keith

What a difference this week was from our first three weeks in Thailand — from cycling through rural areas to tourist hotspots. We found the tourists at Tiger Cave Temple before even getting to the center of Krabi.

20250222_114541 by bryandkeith on flickr
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Bicycle touring Thailand: Chumphon to Krabi

Posted on July 4, 2025 by Bryan Keith

Another week of rolling through rubber tree and palm oil plantations. During this third week of our trip, I realized that we hardly traveled through any non-agriculture land in Thailand and that makes the riding, well, kind of boring. Our original plan for this tour had been to ride in the north where there are hills and even mountains, but we had to nix that plan when we learned about the pollution due to burning the fields at the beginning of each year.

On the positive side Thai people are friendly, and of course the food is good.

20250213_183142 by bryandkeith on flickr
Sawi

Back in Cabana Beach this family helped us order dinner one evening. We stopped at their shop to buy dried durian chips and durian paste on our way out of Chumphon.

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Bicycle touring Thailand: Prachuap Khiri Khan to Chumphon

Posted on June 24, 2025 by Bryan Keith

My favorite part of our second week of bicycle touring in Thailand was the food. It felt like it was one good meal after another. We spent two nights in Prachuap Khiri Khan. On our full day there we rode over to Ao Manao Beach.

20250207_112950 by bryandkeith on flickr

Here’s the coconut milk soup and seaweed soup lunch that they served us at our small table on the beach under the shade of pine trees.

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